Nevermore
by xFlawed Imperfectionx
Summary: There was a still, silent, stagnant moment in which she questioned a great many things: why he was here, how he had managed to get himself in without her knowing about it, her own sanity. Based on Poe's The Raven.


I'll say more at the end, but this is kinda like a songfic, but the song is a poem. As I'm sure you've guessed, the poem is The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.

This is kind of a more literal adaptation that it is figurative. The characters act more like Poe would write them rather than how Kishimoto would. I tried my best to write it to fit both of them, but it super tough. so this is what the end result was.

I don't own Naruto or The Raven.

More to come from me at the end. enjoy!

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><p>Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,<p>

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door -

Only this, and nothing more."

She couldn't remember a more lonely night. She had spent many a night alone since her former friend's betrayal, but never had she felt this weak, this vulnerable, this simply _alone_. It was another night spent pouring over some medical text or another, for really no other reason than boredom. This should be nothing more than the norm, she mused. Spending years feeling betrayed and lonely and never, _never_ good enough makes a soul cynical. Or maybe, she ventured, she was in the realm of half-sleep where fantasy and reality juxtaposed and angels kept company with demons and nothing was real and everything was real –

But wait. What was that sound? A distinct _thud_. Sharp senses honed by years of constant training instantly responded. It was nothing, she repeated to herself, a mantra of half-assuredness. Surely it could be nothing more than a creature in the night; a squirrel, surely, or something of the like.

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore -

Nameless here for evermore.

Truly, she hated the winter. There was no good to be found in it. It was cold, desolate, barren, empty. Surely, if there was truly a higher power at work in the world, then as surely that it had declared into existence a season for the blooming of flowers and vibrant colors, it had also spoke into the world a season for those same petals' subsequent fall and death.

She had vainly sought some comfort in this most dark season by lighting a fire in a long-forgotten fireplace. The last time she could remember the fireplace being used, the grays and whites and blacks of winter had been brightened and burst into vibrant yellows and not-too-violent reds. She could still hear a loud howling laughter that never seemed to get obnoxious, a soft chuckle, and a smirk.

This night, the fire seemed as lonely as the rest of the world. The grays only seemed grayer, the whites more empty and the blacks more gloomy. By now, the fire was down to its last sparks, had lost it's will to continue. She should probably put more wood on the starving fire, she thought. But she just far too tired to care.

Far, far too tired.

Her pondering was drawn to the bookshelves beside the scarcely-used fireplace. They held those things to which she had ran for a distraction from her ever-growing misery. Not consolation or comfort, because even in her most desperate of days she knew that no material thing could ever replace that which she had lost. No, rather they were a distraction. Various medical texts and dissertations, infinite pages on poisons, burns, impalements, ailments, and illnesses.

And yet, none of these books detailing the numerous ways to heal the human body's numerous problems contained the information necessary to heal the broken heart.

They could never bring _him_ back.

Sasuke.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,

"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -

This it is, and nothing more."

But wait. There it was again. That sound.

Another animal? Snow falling from a nearby tree onto her roof? A shinobi returning home from a long mission who wished desperately just to get home as soon as possible? A medic-nin who would soon be at her door requiring her presence at the hospital for some emergency or another? Tsunade herself, for the same reason? A would-be intruder?

No, she told herself. It was none of those things. The necessity of sleep and the bleak midnight made for clouded thoughts. Surely it was merely her teammate. He did occasionally come over late at night. Sometimes to see if she was still holding herself together, other times broken himself and needing her to just be there.

That's all it was.

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you"- here I opened wide the door; -

Darkness there, and nothing more.

Yes, of course it was her blond friend! Why had she even questioned it? It was plainly obvious to her now that she was desperately in need of sleep. She was never like this, seeing enemies in simple shadows and innocent happenings. Her bright and sunny friend often did this. She should have known it was him. And oh! he was standing out there long enough now, surely! By now he was probably freezing in front of her door!

"I'm sorry! I was almost asleep and I didn't know if I had actually heard you or not."

But when she opened her door, her only greeting was that of snow and cold and more empty grayness.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!" -

Merely this, and nothing more.

She stood there longer than maybe she should have, the cold biting into her skin, burying itself deep within her soul. Surely, she hadn't imagined it. No, she was awake enough now to know that there was _definitely _something there.

But it wasn't her friend.

Who, then?

Could it be…? No, it couldn't…could it? It was such an impossibility, and yet consequently its likelihood lied in that it was so impossible to conceive.

"Sasuke?" She had meant to be louder than that. The bold proclamation that she had imagined in her head previously came out as as a weak, whimpering whisper. If it truly was her old crush, she wouldn't show any weakness. Maybe if she was stronger, he'd stay this time.

But again, her only response was bleak grayness, and more snow, and her own voice resounding in the darkness.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.

"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice:

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -

'Tis the wind and nothing more."

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Sighing, she closed the door. Of _course _it couldn't be him. He'd left her some years back. He'd made it very clear upon their last meeting that he'd never again set foot within the walls of this village, save it be for its destruction. What madness had compelled her to ever believe that he could be there? Truly, she needed to retire to the comfort and safety of her bed. She was far too tired.

But as she closed her door and made to return to what warmth the dying fire might offer, she could scarcely believe that which she had seen. So much so that she blinked a great many times and rubbed her eyes. Surely she was sleeping! Truly, she was still curled up in her bed, warm, cozy, and most assuredly _not _seeing that which was presently before her! Or maybe she had fallen asleep in front of her fireplace and in such as fashion that dream and reality intertwined and she could no longer distinguish between the two!

But no. That she had the presence of mind to believe that she was asleep was testament enough to the fact that this was indeed the realm of reality.

Beyond all mortal explanation, he was there, his red eyes staring into her softer eyes of emerald.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.

"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,

Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore -

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door -

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,

With such name as "Nevermore."

There was a still, silent, stagnant moment in which she questioned a great many things: why he was here, how he had managed to get himself in without her knowing about it, her own sanity.

But she cut her musings short there. He was there, staring right at her, saying nothing, doing nothing. And nothing she had thought she would ever ask him got farther than ideas in her mind. In his presence, as always, she was dumbstruck and reverted to the babbling twelve-year-old she had promised herself she would leave behind with the memories of soft eyes and hair of the most beautiful onyx and a smug confidence that made her knees weak and her palms sweaty.

"Sasuke?"

"No."

No? Not Sasuke? The undertones were clear. But really, he had told her nothing. Typical. Surely he knew that she would very likely throw question after question at him until she was winded and he was annoyed and her curiosity, that proverbial bane of man since the dawn of existence, was sated.

But in fashion typical of him, he had only said what he needed, nothing more. If she wanted any more from him, she would have to be the one to first ask the question and be lucky if she got a straight response from him.

But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing further then he uttered- not a feather then he fluttered -

Till I scarcely more than muttered, "other friends have flown before -

On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."

Then the bird said, "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -

Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore

Of 'Never - nevermore'."

She sighed, not bothering to try and hide it her obvious disapproval and how weary she grew of his cryptic games. He remained silent, not speaking another word and not moving, but always, _always _staring at her.

"Okay then. Go on. I know you'll leave just like you did years ago. Just like everyone else has."

"No."

No?

"Ah, I bet he's truly insane now. After everything that happened in his life, he's finally just gone insane. I wonder if he even knows who I am? He must be seeing other things."

But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;

Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking

Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore

Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

Returning to what her place had been previous, she sat, sighed, stared. Deep into those eyes of the most royal and most evil crimson. She didn't fear that which those eyes could do to her. If he wanted her dead, he could as easily kill her as he could cross the minimal distance necessary to perform the act itself, regardless of whether or not he used his eyes.

So she sat and sighed and stared. She began to ponder a plethora of plentiful possibilities, as she had found herself doing much that night.

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;

This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,

But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,

She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.

"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he hath sent thee

Respite - respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore:

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

Still she sat and sought the answer to all that she questioned but never speaking a word to him. No, never speaking to him. Who among the sane would ask an insane man a query with expectations of answers? Truly, his only response would just spawn more questions.

And so she sat and tried desperately to feel the warmth of the ever-dying fire. The same warmth that Sasuke would never again feel.

And as she continued to look at him, she began to see the boy she had loved. The boy that she had almost – always it was almost – connected with and the boy that she still to this day loved. She began to see the boy and the man and soon she could no longer tell one from the other she saw striking onyx and burning demonic crimson.

"Damn you!" she cried, now standing. "You're here to destroy us! You've been sent to kill us all! You're not Sasuke, you were _never_ Sasuke! Leave so I can forget him!"

And again, his response: "No."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -

Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -

On this home by horror haunted- tell me truly, I implore -

Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil - prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -

Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore -

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Damn you!" she again shouted, "You're evil! Evil! Whether your master sent you here or if he's done with you, you're still here to kill us! Will you ever stop trying to destroy this place? – Answer me, damn you!"

Again, "No."

"Damn you!" again, this time in a shriek, "Damn you to Hell! Answer my questions! Will I ever see _my _Sasuke again? Even if it's when I'm dead, will I _ever_ see Sasuke again?"

Still, and forever, "No."

"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked, upstarting -

"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!

Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Then leave! Go back to the hell you left! Leave and take your lies and betrayal with you! If I have to be alone then let me be alone! Let me pick up the pieces of my heart and leave! Why do you do this to me? Get out of here! Go!"

"No."

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted - nevermore!

And true to his word, for maybe the only time in his life, he stayed. Every day she sees him standing right where he was. Always standing, searching, staring, his cursed eyes boring into hers with a piercing knowledge.

Still he holds her heart, and still it is crushed and every day she asks herself if she would ever see an end to the pain he has brought. She looks, always, for the day that he would no longer haunt her. That beautiful day of heavenly euphoria where she would no longer see red everywhere she went and could stop being haunted by the phantasmal memories of Sasuke. The day when he would nevermore be situated so, so, so, so damn close to the picture on her mantle that reminded her of the Utopian days of her youth.

And even as she asks herself this, she knows.

No.

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><p>I had meant to get this up earlier but when I went to do my final revisions, my changes weren't saved and I lost my will to get it done for a while. But I did it, and here it is.<p>

I tried to copy Poe's style as much as I could. Obviously, since he wrote mostly poems and I'm writing a story, that's hard but I did what I could: use alliteration where possible, deep color association, a great attention to detail - nothing unnecessary; everything is important - flowery language. I didn't get it perfect, but I'm happy with it.

It was SUPER hard keeping the characters true to Kishimoto's intentions while doing this.

And so here's a challenge to you readers: if/when you review, look for the connection between the characters.

Here's what I mean by that: there are three characters in The Raven: the unnamed narrator, the raven and Lenore.

There are also three characters in this story that relate directly to Poe's three characters. Who are they, and with which character are they associated?

Also, bonus points to those who can see the connection of how Poe referred to these characters and how I did.

Thanks for reading!


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